Mass Effect: Joint Species Task Force
by Archangel1207
Summary: Captain Mirin Tanidus is about to assume command of the 3rd Raiding Cadre, a group of Cabals deployed aboard the Hierarchy's stealth ships. She has no idea about the crucial role she will play in the war against the Reapers. Commander Shepard has no time for things like retrieving artifacts for the Crucible. Those missions will fall to the Joint Species Task Force. Largely OC cast
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Happy N7 Day! Here is the new story. It is almost completely unrelated to Mass Effect: Long Talons of the Hierarchy, so there's no need to read that to know what is going on here.**

 **I'd like to thank szierera for contributing Cadan Nezzus and Oren Valur (and Oren's brother Enuxos, who will appear later on), and for his beta-reading of the chapters.**

 **Any feedback you may have is appreciated, as always.**

* * *

 **Mass Effect: Joint Species Task Force**

 _September 16, 2186_

 _5 days before Reaper invasion_

"We will be landing shortly at the Cipritine space port. Thank you for travelling Idrus Galactic, consistently ranked in the top ten lines for customer satisfaction in Hierarchy Space. We hope to see you again soon!"

Mirin Tanidus rolled her eyes. _Perhaps if they added a few more qualifiers they'd be ranked first! It wasn't that great to begin with, and the revelation at one of those dinners that I'm a Cabalist certainly didn't help. At least military transport doesn't hide their hatred of us behind a façade of respect._

She shook her head and looked out the window as they finished their descent. For a short time she could make out her final destination, the Linsis Military Range. Among the forces stationed there was the command element 2nd Special Operations Corps, or informally "those biotic bastards" to the rest of the troops stationed there. Mirin was a member of the heavily decorated 1st Cabalist Division, which was originally formed before the Unification Wars.

Her own actions on Taetrus had ensured that a few more accolades were added to the honor roll. There she had served in Guard Captain Vidinos's command Cabal as his field intelligence specialist. He had credited her individually for the rapid analysis that lead to his subordinate Cabals killing or capturing three more separatist leaders within a day of capturing their first target and an additional seven over the entire war. That report led to her receiving a Star of Service and being selected to accept the Cadre's Exemplary Unit Citation at the end of the campaign.

Of course, six of those leaders had been assassinated rather than killed honorably in open battle, something that sours such an award to other turians. They had been sure to inform her of that during the trip, and the nasty looks she still received occasionally told her that none of them were ready to let it go. _Ugh, spirits, I hope there's a transport to Linsis waiting for me. I've had quite enough of their toxic attitudes but I'd hate to do something stupid._ The shuttle settled on the ground and she moved to the door to leave.

As she passed the lone flight attendant on the shuttle, he said, "Have a pleasant day, _Cabalist_." _I've never heard my rank sound quite so much like a curse._

She ignored him and made her way to the terminal. As she walked towards the baggage claim she thought of witty things she'd have liked to say in response. _I'm sure mine will be better than yours. Nah, that's not really a barb._ "Mirin." _Perhaps something along the lines of 'I don't have time for your ignorance, my 130,000 credit salary is waiting on me.'_ "Mirin!" _Oh …_ She turned around nearly jumped with joy - not only would she not have to wait for a ride to the base, but it would be with someone she could stand.

"Kamus! It's good to see you again," she said, walking over and hugging him for a moment. Kamus Veratrum was a longtime friend. She had first met the Sybaris native during training and served with him from their initiation up until her term of service on Taetrus. They were in a fairly committed yet still casual relationship.*

"I hope your leave was pleasant?"

Her mandibles flared into a smile. "It was good, I went back to Elymus and got to see Verina before she left for training. How was yours?"

"It was … alright, I suppose. Lorek's death weighed pretty heavily on me at times." As she started to respond, he said, "I know, I know, it's not my fault. I still hate that a friend died on my watch, though."

She put a hand on his shoulder and said, "It doesn't get any easier to deal with, but you can't dwell on it. If you second guess yourself in the field it'll only get others killed again. That's not the kind of loop you want to fall into."

She glanced back at the baggage claim and saw her equipment crates coming around, so she gestured towards it. With her equipment retrieved, they left the terminal and made their way to the sky car Kamus had brought to pick her up. The larger of the two crates – the one with her weapons and armor - _just_ fit in the back seat, while the smaller crate of her personal effects fit easily.

As they flew towards the base, she said, "So, were you assigned replacements? I know that Camitus retired as well."

"Yeah, I've got two new people to integrate. One is fresh from training, and the other is a transfer."

Mirin's browplates rose and she glanced at Kamus. "Oh? That's unusual."

"Cadan Nezzus, formerly of the 12th Cadre. From what I've been told, his Kabalim had been drinking and managed to get a whole fireteam killed, save for Cadan. The Kabalim bullied the rest of the team into lying to cover his back, though he eventually confessed to negligence and resigned. Of course, when he confessed, he was in the hospital after 'a very bad fall.'"

"So Cadan beat his CO until he confessed, more or less?"

"That would be my off the record interpretation. He requested a transfer because he didn't feel that he could trust the teammates who had covered for their Kabalim. So … I guess he'll be a fun one to welcome into the team. But he's got a significant amount of combat experience, and he has excellent engineering qualifications, so I can't complain too much. Any idea what you're going to be doing now?"

"No, I won't know until I report to Colonel Natadros. I expect that after Taetrus I may be assigned to the division's Intel Cadre for even more training, or perhaps I'll be assigned as a Cadre intel officer again. I think Captain Vidinos may have been a bit overzealous in his praise of me, and I'd hate to be stuck in a support role for the rest of my career. But the needs of the Hierarchy take precedence, so …" She shrugged.

Silence grew heavier with each moment until Kamus said, "Well … I imagine you could … call in a favor to get in the field again if it comes to that."

"I'd prefer _not_ to use nepotism to my advantage, but I suppose my father could pull some strings, as the humans say." Her mandibles flared as she laughed. "Wouldn't that be a conversation. 'Hey dad, I know I told you I didn't want you interfering with my career, but could you get me out of this boring support position? Thanks!'"

"Reassignment in a day?"

"Probably. I could probably have any position I wanted, but what I really _want_ is to earn that position."

He looked at her and asked, "Do you have one in mind?"

"Spirits, I don't know …" She scratched her left brow as she pondered his question momentarily. _Hmpf … I don't really have a career plan._ "Eh, it's not really worth thinking about, anyway, especially since my priorities will likely change over time. I'll go wherever the Hierarchy needs me."

"Spoken like a true turian."

"Ha! You wouldn't get that impression of me if you had listened to the morons I traveled with." He looked over as she raised her hands to air quote. "'Cabalists are dishonorable freaks!' 'The Hierarchy doesn't need your kind!' 'Is this food poisoned?'"

"Seriously? People think we actually use poison?" Kamus touched down just in front of one of the Cabalist housing blocks.

Mirin coughed and said, "Well, _some_ Cabals do, but those are all doing super black missions."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, here we are, back among the rest of the freaks."

She ran a talon down his left mandible and said, "If you're free later, we've still got a lot of _catching up_ to do. I'm going to report in to Colonel Natadros, then I need to go pay my respects to Lorek. After that, well … that will depend on you." She opened the door and started pulling her luggage out.

Kamus shifted in his seat. "I'll uh, make sure I'm not busy."

"I'll see you later, then."

Kamus nodded and left to return the sky car to the motor pool. Mirin checked her omni-tool and dropped her equipment off in her assigned quarters. She then headed to the administration building. In the past she could have just sent a message, but as an unassigned Senior Cabalist who had previously served as a Kabalim, her situation was quite a bit more complicated than it would have been then. When she arrived, the Colonel's aide motioned her straight to his office.

She saluted and said, "Senior Cabalist Mirin Tanidus reporting, sir."

"Ah, Mirin." He waved his hand at the three chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat, please. It is good to see you return to us in good health."

"That last mission didn't go quite as planned. I regret that I was unable to –"

"You needn't worry about missing the rituals carried out in your absence, injuries are an extenuating circumstance. And I am sure you were here in spirit, if not in person."

"Of course, sir. I intend to pay my respects once this meeting is over."

After a quick nod, he said, "Your work on Taetrus was quite impressive. Captain Vidinos spoke very highly of your ability as an intelligence analyst. That praise made my staff suggest that a term of service in the intel section might be in order. One even suggested retraining you for espionage purposes." She maintained an outward appearance of calm, but internally she was freaking out. _Oh, spirits, espionage would be even worse than support!_

After a few moments of observation, he leaned forward and began pressing keys on his keyboard. "Of course, I'm free to ignore their advice, and in your case I am going to. _I_ believe your experience in intelligence analysis - combined with the rest of your qualifications – marks you as an excellent candidate for command of a unit in the field. This new Cadre will be assigned –"

"Cadre?!" Mirin's hands covered her mouth for a moment after she interrupted the Colonel. "My apologies, sir."

"Yes, a Cadre. Captain Vidinos suggested a second tour under his command to train you for the role, but the unit I have in mind is rather unconventional, even for the Cabals. There is also something of a time constraint on your preparation. That training could actually hinder your learning on the job, and it would delay you in assuming command of the unit. This Cadre will be assigned to the first squadron of the Hierarchy's stealth destroyers, one Cabal per ship."

He paused as if awaiting a comment, so Mirin said, "I don't have a good understanding of naval tactics, but from what I know those ships wouldn't operate as a full unit, right? They'd be dispersed scouting for the enemy. So if I were in command of the Cadre, my Cabals would essentially be independent, wouldn't they?

"Right on all counts, Mirin. I've selected the Cabals to make up the unit based on the ability of their Kabalim to operate independently. You would be the senior Kabalim in the force, but you need the authority that comes with the promotion, a position for which 85% of your peers and direct superiors agree you are a good candidate."

After quick mental assessment of her own capabilities, she nodded and stood. He pulled a small box from one of the drawers of his desk.

"Senior Cabalist Tanidus, I offer you promotion to the rank of Captain, and command of the 3rd Raiding Cadre, effective immediately. Your peers and superiors approve of this promotion. Do you accept?"

"I accept this promotion with honor and pride, sir."

"These insignia are temporary. You will receive your permanent insignia in a few days."

He handed her the box and she opened it, running her fingers over the brand new badges inside. _Spirits, am I really ready for this?_ "Thank you, Colonel. I'm not familiar with the unit, but I will visit the archives to learn more about its history." She looked up and said, "I will also need a Cabal of my own."

"That was arranged already, pending your acceptance of the command."

"May I ask which unit, sir?"

"As time is short, you will resume command of the 7th Cabal, 4th Cadre, 1st Battalion."

 _Oh spirits, I've forced Kamus out of his command! Damn it!_ She opened her mouth to protest that decision, but realized it would do her no good. Although with her promotion to Captain it was unlikely her decision to promote Kamus had been found to be in error, the possibility remained that he might lose his position anyway. Refusing to take command again would halt her promotion, and likely her career.

With no good options beyond proceeding, she swallowed her emotions and said, "Yes, sir."

"I will send you more information on your other Cabals tomorrow, once everyone has been officially transferred. I'll also include further information on the assignment itself."

"Thank you. If there is nothing else, sir?" Conscious that her rapidly shifting mandibles might be betraying her otherwise calm appearance, she stilled them.

"That is all, Captain."

She saluted and left, still fuming over the position she had now been put in. _Damn it, I should have asked about what Cabal I would have before I accepted. I wouldn't have – I wouldn't have accepted, and I'd probably be stuck in support for the rest of my career. I can't decide if I was manipulated into this command or not._ She composed a message to Kamus, preparing to break the news to him in person before she had to relieve him in front of the unit.

Mirin visited the Hall of Remembrance at the center of the Cabalist section of the base to pay her respects to Senior Cabalist Lorek Narius. It took her several minutes to locate his name on the walls, then she spent several more reflecting on him. Finally, she quietly said, "You were a fine soldier and a good man, Lorek. Yours is a serious loss to us all, but you are now one with the spirits. Be at peace, my friend."

Her omni-tool vibrated with a message. Mirin leaned against the wall, her head bowed for a moment. She ran her talons across Lorek's name and left to meet Kamus.

She found him sitting in a booth at the edge of the mess. She swallowed and sat down opposite him. "Kamus."

"Mirin."

"I, um … I got promoted." She placed the box on the table and watched him open it.

He smiled, mandibles flaring wide. "Congratulations, Mirin! That's great news."

"Yeah, it is, but …" She swallowed. "Well, it's at a huge cost. Kamus, I …" She rubbed her temples with thumb and forefinger. "I'm sorry, but I'm taking your Cabal from you."

"I know."

"I didn't want–" She looked up at him. "You … you know?"

"Yeah, I knew. I'm actually kind of rel – OWW! Spirits, what was that for?!" He rubbed his face where she had smacked him.

"If you knew, why didn't you tell me on the way here?!"

"Because you would have refused the promotion! I may have led the Cabal on Taetrus, but I've always thought of it as your team. And, honestly …" He cradled his head in his hands for a few seconds. "I don't think I'm cut out for command in the long term. I can carry out orders, I can plan operations, I can even execute missions!" He threw his arms up in exasperation at the last. "But the responsibility for lives is just …" He sighed and stared at the table. "It's almost more stress than I can handle, Mirin."

She reached out and took his hands. "Damn it, Kamus, if you had told me that, I'd have still accepted the promotion. I've spent the last twenty minutes feeling awful for taking the Cabal away from you, and it turns out you wanted me to do it all along."

"And I'd have liked to tell you, but I was explicitly ordered _not_ to." He pulled his hands away and held them up defensively. "And before you ask, I don't know why. Apparently they really wanted you in command."

"Grr … Well, I'm sure I'll find out why soon. Let's get something to eat." She gestured in the general direction of the food line.

"So you're not even mad?"

She shook her head and said, "Oh no, I'm mad. I'm just going to take it out on you a bit later. Cabalists don't lie to each other, after all. Even under orders you should have tried to give me a hint!" She poked his arm between two plates with a talon.

"Well I asked you what you wanted to do!"

"That's not even a hint! 'Do you have a job in mind?' Yeah, serve the Hierarchy! If they had asked me to serve as an analyst for the rest of my career, I'd have done it." Her mandibles flared a few times. "Probably … The point is, I got blindsided by the promotion. I'd have _thought_ my second in command wouldn't let that happen."

He sighed. "So you're going to beat me to a pulp in sparring?" Mirin detected just a bit of disappointment in his subvocals.

"No, worse. _Teasing_. Good luck fully enjoying yourself tonight!"

He groaned and said, "You are a terrible person …"

She laughed and got in line for dinner. They ate with a certain sense of urgency, making little small talk, then went to their respective quarters. 10 minutes later he was at her door. They were on each other before it had even finished closing.

In the end, they both enjoyed themselves quite a bit. Taetrus had been a long period of time away from each other, after all.

* * *

 **A/N:**

*For turian relationships, there are three levels.

First is the level of acquaintance, which is the level that casual partners who are just relieving tension together are at. There's not really any rules at this level, and a turian can have as many partners as they like with no judgement from anyone.

The next level is much more serious, and one of the key differences is actually sleeping together. Not as we generally think of it (with sleeping together meaning having sex, which is the casual level), but actually sleeping in the same bed. It signifies a much greater level of trust and affection. The partners no longer seek out casual relationships with others, either.

Finally, there is marriage. This can be between a single pair, or between multiple pairs. The latter is just as common because it provides certainty that a spouse and any children will be cared for by the other pairs in the marriage should one partner die, and that children will be cared for if both die. Marriage is a written, legally binding agreement and must be renewed every 5-10 years to ensure that all parties are still invested in the relationship.

Moving from one level to another is a big step that is not taken lightly. It should also be noted that the Hierarchy has no issue with breaking up casual relationships with reassignments, while a married couple will not be separated under any circumstances unless one partner has retired from the service. They generally will work with committed couples who have not yet married as well.

Mirin and Kamus are roughly in between levels 1 and 2. Each still takes another casual partner occasionally, but they are far closer to each other than to their other partners. They haven't taken things farther than that, though.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you everyone for all of the reviews, faves, and follows!**

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The vibration of her omni-tool told Mirin it was time to take command of her old team once more. She had spent the morning doing research about her unit's past and reading through the reports on its current status and future mission. That had been enough to redirect her focus from her dislike of the circumstances, even with Kamus's willingness to relinquish command. Now she had to face reality.

 _I might as well get it over with._ She sighed and turned off the terminal in her quarters – quarters she would only retain for another few days before she relocated yet again. _I find it somewhat curious that we aren't being given any time to work up before deploying, even if we are going to be on separate ships. When Gradius said the Cadre was being re-founded, I had assumed we would have a couple of months to adopt its customs and rekindle its spirit. Instead, we've got 3 days to get ready for immediate action._

She shook her head and left for conference hall where she had arranged to meet the team before her introductory briefing. She sent Kamus a message to warn him that she was on her way. When she arrived he had the team lined up and stood at one end, his shoulders relaxed as he nodded to her.

"Kabalim Veratrum?"

"They know, Captain Tanidus."

 _That title is going to take some getting used to_ … She vocalized formal command tones and said, "Very well. As you all know, I have been ordered to assume command of the 7th Cabal. Kabalim Veratrum, you are hereby returned to the rank of Senior Cabalist, an action that is not based on any perceived lack of ability, but on the needs of organizational expediency."

"Understood, ma'am. You have command."

She dropped the command vocalizations and said, "We are being renumbered to the First Cabal, 3rd Raiding Cadre. I doubt many of you are familiar with the unit, and with good reason – until late last night, it hadn't been in service since before the end of the Krogan Rebellions. In just a little bit I'll be briefing the entire Cadre on the unit's history and our future mission. For now, though, barring the unfortunate loss of two members and Kamus's forced demotion, it is good to see you all again."

Kamus walked forward and offered his hand for the standard wrist clasp. "Welcome back, Mirin. _Formally_ , that is."

She felt a rush of heat behind her plates as she flushed in embarrassment. "Spirits, you're almost as bad as I am, Kamus." She playfully shoved him away and turned to the next person in line. A couple of minutes and 6 team members later she turned and missed her handshake.

After a moment of shock, she said, "Rough night, eh Tullia?"

The woman's hand moved up towards her face and the freshly cracked plate before she consciously stopped it, "Yes, Kab–err, Captain. Rough night."

"You've been here what, two days and you've already been in a fight?" Mirin caught the frustration in her vocalizations and quickly banished it.

Some hurt was evident in Tullia's vocalizations as she said, "You know it's not my fault!"

Mirin sighed, then vocalized apologetic tones. "It's not _entirely_ your fault. Let's not dwell on this, we'll talk about it later." She offered her hand once more.

"Yes, ma'am."

Mirin saw who the next person in line was just in time to brace herself for the inevitable hug. "Hey! Easy, Zel, you might break me in half!" Mirin patted her back.

She loosened her grip slightly. "Sorry, Mirin! When they shipped you off to that other team I thought we'd never see you again."

"Well, I'm probably not leaving again for a long time since I've been promoted." She went for a quick, affectionate fringe rub with her first subordinate. Integrating Zel into the Cabal had been Mirin's duty soon after she made Senior Cabalist. Zel's all-loving nature had quickly made her feel like more of a sister than just another Cabalist.

"I'm glad to hear it, ma'am."

She greeted two more of her old friends, then encountered the first of the new team members. She estimated he was about 40 centimeters taller than her, and towered over even Zecus, one of her heavy weapons troops. _Spirits, I didn't even know they_ _ **made**_ _turians that big!_

"Specialist Cadan Nezzus, ma'am. I'm your new engineer."

"Mirin Tanidus. I trust you know your duties well enough to integrate yourself with limited assistance? Our last engineer had to retire due to injuries."

"Of course, ma'am. You don't need to worry about me."

"Then I look forward to working with you, Cadan."

"Ma'am." He nodded and walked away. That meant the last person in line was the newest member of the team.

He hesitantly grasped her wrist and said, "I'm Oren Valur, Kabalim – err, Captain. Sorry, ma'am, I was just initiated last month."

She smiled and said, "Mirin Tanidus. Don't worry, being 'Captain' is new for me, too. You'll get the hang of it soon enough."

"I certainly hope so, ma'am."

"Alright, now that I've gotten reacquainted with everyone, I've got a briefing to give. So, let's go across the hall."

Her men found seats in the relatively small auditorium. A quick check of her omni-tool told her that it would be a while before the other Cabalists arrived, so she decided to deal with her discipline problem now.

"Tullia, I'd like a minute." Mirin gestured to an out of the way corner.

"Um, of course, ma'am."

Safely out of earshot, and making sure to maintain a neutral tone, Mirin said, "Seriously, two days and a fight?" She put up a hand to forestall argument. "I know, I know, it's not your fault. It's not _entirely_ your fault. Being both barefaced _and_ biotic is a hard life to be dealt, especially since the continued societal attitudes toward both groups are negative. You don't deserve the insults and bad looks, but they aren't going to go away."

Tullia crossed her arms defiantly. "Can I get a word in, Ka … ptain?"

"Go ahead."

"I _tried_ to do what you told me – use words to fight back, not fists. So, I started trading barbs with him. How was I supposed to know that saying he only had a problem with me because his father was barefaced was true?! Like, what are the odds, for spirits' sake?"

Mirin's left hand rose to her browplates. "Oh, spirits ..." After a moment of trying to massage the scenario into her brain, she said, "So what happened with this fight?"

"Well, it started at 3 to 1, but when I got the upper hand some more jumped in. When it got to 6 to 1, I flared my biotics to scare them off, then I left."

"You didn't do anything permanent, did you?" She held her left hand out as if waiting for Tullia to hand her more complications.

"No! That first stint in jail was not enjoyable."

Mirin sighed dropped her arm. "Well, we're going to be working closely with both Hierarchy Navy and Marine personnel, long term. I'm going to have enough to worry about with trying to coordinate operations and everything else. I don't need you to add another problem to my plate, and there wouldn't be anywhere for you to retreat to after an altercation if it came to that."

"I'll do my best, ma'am, but you know I have a hard time ignoring them."

"Yes, the 4 demotions to go with the 4 promotions makes that pretty clear. Look, Tullia, you should be a Senior Cabalist by now, maybe even one of my fire team leaders. I can promote you about _one_ more time, then you'll be stuck as a Cabalist when you could be capable of so much more." Frustration was again sneaking into her vocalizations, so she paused to get them under control. "From everything I've seen you've got the ability, just not the discipline. So, now you're going to get the responsibility without the rank. You're in charge of integrating Cabalist Valur."

"What? But I don't have any idea how to do that!"

"Well you're going to learn, because you'd already know if you stayed as a Senior Cabalist for more than a month. You can ask anyone you want to for advice, but ultimately, he's your responsibility now."

"And I'm guessing this isn't negotiable?"

"No. As I said, I don't need any more problems at the moment. I'm hoping that having a responsibility to be a good role model will bring about the change I need to see from you. If you won't do it to prove yourself to me, then I'm sorry, Tullia, but I don't think I can take you with me on this deployment." Mirin made sure to keep her voice neutral, though she was a bit worried that Tullia would give up on herself.

"Spirits, Mirin, don't leave me behind! Even among the Cabalists I don't get a ton of acceptance for being barefaced outside of this team. If training Oren is what it takes to stay with you guys, fine, I'll do my best."

Mirin nodded and said, "Good. I really _would_ hate to lose you. Now, let's get back there, the others are starting to come in." She gestured to the door they had entered from, where another Cabal sized group was shuffling in.

Once Tullia was a few feet away, Mirin let out a sigh of relief. Tullia's discipline problems would have forced her out of the Cabals a long time ago if Mirin couldn't see her skill at arms as still being useful. She was rapidly approaching the point where it was more than a superior could tolerate, though.

6 more groups filed in over the next 15 minutes. That brought the gathering up to 8 Cabals totaling 111 Cabalists, just 9 below what could be termed their "maximum strength" of 120 men. She stood and went to the podium.

"Greetings, everyone. I am Captain Mirin Tanidus, commanding officer of the newly reformed 3rd Raiding Cadre." Her mandibles flared into a brief smile. "It is my honor to welcome you all to the ranks of this historically significant unit. It was founded around 30 years before the Unification Wars, at a time when most Cabals were used solely as shock troops. The Cadre's mission, and that of its parent battalion, was to provide a special operations unit that wasn't afraid to use dishonorable tactics. The Cabals have never been known for the honorable conduct of their members, so it was a good place to recruit for such a unit. The biotic capability of the Cabals was seen as a bonus, not a requirement.

She paced a few steps to the left as she said, "In those early decades, the unit struggled to prove its worth, but with the coming of the Unification Wars its existence proved fortuitous. Even those planets that stayed loyal to the Hierarchy wore markings proclaiming their loyalty to their homeworld." She paused and turned to look at her audience. "Few would dream of wearing the markings of another colony, _even_ for benefits in the field, but the Cabals had no such inhibition. Indeed, that lack of inhibition allowed them to blend in with the troops of Bostra to assassinate a noted general one month-" She turned her head slightly as a pair of that world's natives stirred in the rear. "And then infiltrate and destroy an anti-proton production facility serving the forces of Nimines less than a month later. In all, the 3rd Cadre alone killed four influential commanders and destroyed critical infrastructure on no less than a dozen occasions during the first two years of the war.

"In the last year of the war, it was discovered and found itself fighting an open battle against the defending forces of Calydon. Using compromised communications codes, Captain Pallin Lorus managed to get one of the invading Sativan divisions to direct a battalion of troops as reinforcements. His unit fought its way to their shuttles and escaped the system before anyone realized they had been tricked, but the unit had been badly mauled, with over 30 dead and twice that many forced to retire." Her voice held a twinge of sadness at such a great loss of life among the close nit Cabalists. "It didn't deploy again for the remainder of the war, and was still understrength when the Hierarchy finally negotiated peace."

She turned and began pacing to her right. "The unit deployed on tens of thousands more missions between the end of the Unification Wars and the Hierarchy's entry into the Krogan Rebellions, but it would take the dedicated career of a historian to offer substantial knowledge about those of operations. Indeed, even the operations during the unit's service in the Rebellions would take years to examine and give the proper detail.

She paused and looked at the audience once more. "What I've learned in the last day is that the unit accounted for over 100 krogan warlords on the field of battle and destroyed a dozen major weapons manufacturing facilities with nuclear weapons. It was deployed to Tuchanka to assist Blackwatch with the deployment of the genophage, an operation in which the 3rd Raiding Cadre provided an essential if unglamorous role by providing perimeter security as Blackwatch cleared the tower and deployed the weapon that would win the war.

"The 3rd Cadre would not see the end of the war, however." She shook her head, her eyes downcast. "It took part in an operation under our asari allies where a lack of respect for the unit's tactical capabilities saw misuse of it as a diversion force, resulting in heavy casualties that should never have been taken. The unit survived the battle only to be destroyed by high command, who feared that team members would seek vengeance on the asari commander who sent so many of their comrades to their deaths. Thus ended an illustrious 1200 year history."

She returned to the podium and took a drink from a conveniently provided bottle of water as she let the unit's history sink in with its new members. After 30 seconds, she cleared her throat to start again, this time with stronger, confident vocalizations. "With the refounding of the 3rd Raiding Cadre, we will again be trailblazers. This time, we will be the first Cadre of Cabalists deployed on the Hierarchy's stealth ships. Each Cabal was chosen based on the ability of its Kabalim to operate without a chain of command telling him or her what to do. In short, when your teachers and trainers told you that insubordination would never get you anywhere, they weren't _entirely_ correct. Don't let it go to your heads though, Cabalists!" Her mandibles flared into a smile.

Everyone laughed for a few seconds to acknowledge her bad attempt at humor. "Our initial deployment will begin in 3 days. Given the highly independent nature we are to adopt, I'm confident we can make that deadline, though I apologize for the short notice. I will use the next 2 days for more in depth briefings with the Kabalim. The rest of you should get your affairs in order for a 6 month deployment. If there are no questions, you are all dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who has read, favorited, and reviewed.**

* * *

Although Mirin had privately questioned whether it was possible to get the Cabalists prepared for their deployment in time, they had met their deadline. Some of her time had been spent on a crash course in military administration. She hadn't been assigned a staff and had initially believed she wouldn't need one. Nearly a week later she simply hoped she could keep up with the onslaught of paperwork that she needed to deal with.

 _Of course, with us about to plan our first mission, the next few days will be even_ _ **worse**_ _._ She looked around the small conference room, hoping that her teammates' conversation might distract her for a few minutes.

"Honestly, I don't think Lusonum has a chance. They just don't have the depth in their roster, Kamus!"

"Oh, nonsense! They've got plenty of depth to make it to the championship this year, if only the first or second round, and that would put them in a better position for recruiting new players next year. Look at it in the long term, Phinnus."

"I hear that a lot from Lusonum fans, but hey, at least you're loyal to your team. I can respect that, but you really should have chosen a better team to be loyal to!"

Mirin rolled her eyes and tuned out the banter, once more focusing on reading updates from the other teams. The Second Cabal was missing spare armor components. The Sixth Cabal had gotten dragged into a brawl, leaving two Cabalists and five Marines in the infirmary for a couple of days. In direct contrast, a member of the Eighth had quickly developed a relationship with one of the Marines, of all people! While she was happy to see someone building bridges, she had no doubt it would cause her headaches in the future.

She looked up as the door slid opened and vocalized a greeting to Zecus, Kurana, and Tacita. That meant that all of her Senior Cabalists were now present and they were just waiting for the Marine representatives to arrive. They made idle chitchat for another 17 minutes before the door again slid open to admit two others.

"Ah, there you are Lieutenant Valonis, Sergeant Flaccus. We were just about to start without you."

"If you wanted to hold the meeting sooner, you should have scheduled it sooner, _Major_ ," said the Lieutenant. Several of the Cabalists bristled at the retort. To them, "turian punctuality" was an important virtue. As Mirin had been told as a child, one should always strive to show up before the actual meeting time.

 _I'm an idiot … I don't like being made to wait, but I gain nothing from antagonizing them besides more problems down the road. At least they're on time, I suppose …_

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Now, let's get started. Our first target is a Cerberus facility on the planet Sanctum. STG believes it is a research facility, and I'm inclined to concur with them. Orbital imagery shows none of the hallmarks of a major military facility, and their recon team estimated around a company of guards at the very most. For a facility of this size, that is fairly low, if still enough to be a threat.

"Now, to frame this within our overall operational use, this would typically be a simple recon mission followed by guiding in the forces who would actually complete the assault. However, given the facility's location deep inside the Terminus Systems, stealth craft are the only ones that can get in and out without causing an interstellar incident. We're therefore taking half of the squadron in for this mission to attain sufficient forces for the assault. It'll also give a greater portion of the unit a chance at combat than a scouting mission.

"My basic operational outline is that one Cabal will infiltrate each of the research wings, which I believe are the large sections in the outer ring. While the facility's destruction is our primary mission, that could be accomplished quite easily from orbit. It is critical that we recover as much intelligence as possible before they have a chance to delete or destroy it. The Marines will attack the central facility once combat has started. We should be in position to remove many of the guards before you land as they attempt to retake the labs. Questions, comments, or concerns on the basic concept?"

She let them sit in silence for around 30 seconds as they considered it. As she prepared to continue, she was interrupted by a call on her omni-tool. She glanced at it and saw that the caller was one Borian Terraka, Captain of the _HNV_ _Vornas_.

She held the 'tool up to her ear and said, "What can I do for you, Captain Terraka? We just started planning the operation."

"Nothing, Major. I just wanted to let you know that you don't need to worry about planning it after all. We just received a fleet wide signal telling us to stand by for new orders."

"I see … Do you have any idea why, sir?"

"Not at this time, no. I'll keep you appraised as new info becomes available. Terraka out."

She looked at the omni-tool for a moment, then said, "This operation has been postponed indefinitely. We could continue planning, but it's likely that the intelligence will change if we're even still on the mission. Unless there are any objections, you're all dismissed." Unsurprisingly, she received no objections and the two Marines quickly left.

"Well, that was a, hmm … _pleasant_ experience," said Tacita.

"Yeah, we should definitely do it more often!" said Zecus.

"Now what, ma'am?" asked Phinnus.

"Physical training, of course." That was met with universal grumbling and she let out a small laugh. "I'm kidding, guys. Consider it additional free time. I've got more reports to deal with." She held up her datapad and waved them away with it.

Everyone but Kamus had soon made plans and left. "I uh, didn't want to say it in front of the others, but was the comment to the Marines really necessary?"

"No, but it felt good at the time. Rather dumb in hindsight, wasn't it?" He shrugged in response, and she said, "I know we've only been aboard for a few days now, but with the added stress of, well, everything that goes with this new job … I'm a little bit overwhelmed, I guess. That leads to rash decisions …"

"If you need anything, let me know. "

"Don't worry, I will."

"Right, I'll let you get back to work, then."

* * *

Mirin rolled over and grabbed her omni-tool to shut off the alarm. After getting it roughly secured on her arm, she opened her mailbox to see what new problems had developed in the preceding six hours. She saw nothing that couldn't wait half an hour while she slept in, but she also saw nothing related to their orders. She sighed and typed out a message to the Captain, intending to set up a meeting later that day to figure out just what was going on. Once she was done, she closed her eyes again but knew she had already had too much mental activity to get back to sleep anytime soon.

Instead she dragged herself out of bed and got dressed. She arrived at the mess around the same time as the rest of the Cabalists and sat down with them for breakfast. She knew they would have just finished their morning exercise and waited patiently for conversation as they practically inhaled their food.

Finally, Kamus said, "You're up early, Kabalim."

"Yeah, I'm going to try to catch Captain Terraka before he gets busy. It's been three days since we were told to await new orders, and to my knowledge we've done nothing but alternate between flying around under stealth and venting the heat sinks. Hopefully he can tell me what is going on."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," said Phinnus.

"Why not?"

"Well, we're mostly going to be on recon duty, right? Not much for us to do while the navy collects their intelligence. Maybe this is a practice run where they test us?"

"I doubt it, the intel on that Cerberus base was real. There was just way too much detail for them to have made it up, and I really doubt that they would give us real intel to plan a fake op. Never mind the fact that they halted mission planning. No, something's up. I just … feel it."

"Hey, you're the boss. If you want to talk to the Captain, that's your prerogative, I just think you're worrying over nothing."

"Maybe I am … I just can't get over them giving us live intel, though. Obviously _I_ wouldn't leak it, but releasing it at all is risky. Maybe a Spectre picked up the mission or something."

Tacita shook her head and said, "Well, if they did, why wouldn't they use us for the strike? I mean, I can see putting a Spectre in command of the mission, but they're going to need help. We're already on our way, we're in stealth ships so we can be discreet … Why use someone else?"

Phinnus nodded and said, "That's a good point. And, even if _we_ aren't supposed to be prepping for an op, the navy people ought to be. From what little I've heard, they don't have any idea what we're doing either."

"Crewmen wouldn't, would they?" Heads turned towards Oren and he froze. Tullia elbowed him and he coughed and said, "I mean, wouldn't it be a security risk to tell them what we're doing? They don't really need to know that to do their jobs, and keeping it under wraps would minimize the risks of a leak."

"A good point, Cabalist Valur. Don't be afraid to speak your mind. I'm not 100% certain of the protocol, but that seems reasonable. On the other hand, with QEC's on board, we generally don't use the comm buoys, and since crewmen don't have access to the QEC's they could tell the crew everything with little worry of a security breach. But since it's questionable that the crewmen would know anything, we should assume they don't."

Mirin's omni-tool vibrated. After a quick glance, she said, "Well, that's the Captain, now. It looks like I may have answers for you all soon."

She ate her last few bites and left the mess, meeting the grumpy faces of a few first shift crewmen with a smile as they made their way to the mess for their own meal. Her Cabalists would be gone before the majority of the shift was even awake, let alone in a position to cause problems. A short walk aft brought her to an elevator, which she rode up two floors to the command deck.

She was met with relative quiet as the third shift went about their duties. A few turned and glared at her, no doubt unhappy to see a Cabalist on what was undeniably their turf. She ignored them and walked to her left, turning a corner and entering the senior officers' section. Most of them had quarters on the command deck so they wouldn't have to wait on an elevator in the event of an emergency, and the Captain and XO had offices attached to their quarters. She hit the call button on the Captain's door and entered when acknowledged a moment later. She stopped a few feet from his desk and saluted.

"At ease, Major. I trust you're settling in well?"*

"Of course, sir. I believe I've nearly perfected our schedule so as to avoid unnecessary friction between the Cabalists and your crew."

"I'm glad to hear it. So, your message said you wanted to talk about our mission? What would you like to know?"

"The last message that we received which I'm aware of was to 'await further orders.'" She made airquotes around the phrase. "Have you received any other communiques since then, Captain Terraka?"

"I would prefer you call me Borian, Major."

 _Avoiding the question, but spirits, really? I'm surprised a naval officer would allow that much familiarity with a Cabalist._ She gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk and asked, "May I, Borian?"

He nodded and put his computer to sleep. "In response to your question, no, I haven't. And I too find that rather curious. You also weren't given the full message, Mirin. May I call you Mirin?"

She gave a single nod. "Of course, reciprocation is only fair."

"Three days ago, we received a QEC message to await new orders because it was possible the batarians were invading Alliance space. Even if they were, there's no way they made it to Palaven, or the innumerable other hidden command centers. We should have heard _something_ by now. At this point, I'm almost worried they've forgotten we even exist."

"So you intend to remind them?"

"Yes, we'll be calling in to FleetComm to reestablish contact. Would you care to join us?"

"Sure, though I'm not sure what I could possibly offer during such a discussion. If I knew what was going on I'd have a few suggestions, but going in blind?" She shrugged.

"That may be true, but I think you should be kept aware of events."

Her mandibles fluttered for a moment and she said, "If I may be so bold, you're being very … accepting, Borian. I didn't really think I'd get a meeting with you, let alone such friendly cooperation. On most ships I'd have had a terse meeting with the XO and an answer days later, if at all. I'm certainly not _complaining_ , but it's quite unexpected."

"Well, I'm not exactly a conformist." He laughed and said, "I earned this position through very unconventional tactics. The cultural norm is that Cabalists are to be avoided because they're dishonorable. I'm betting that if I give you a chance, you'll prove that piece of conventional wisdom wrong."

"I certainly appreciate the chance, it's more than most would give any of us. What exactly did you do, if I may ask?"

"There were many things, but the most notable one was in a skirmish with a batarian raiding squadron. It was two dozen Hegemony Navy ships in disguise, really. My CO was fighting conservatively and holding the frigates back. Normally we'd screen the rest of the fleet while the fighters caused some damage and the cruisers pounded the enemy, then go after anything that was damaged. But again, these were real military ships in good formation, and we didn't have nearly enough fighters to cause appreciable damage.

"I wasn't about to watch those good men and women fly to their deaths for nothing. I broke formation just in time to form up with our wave of fighters and the junior ship in my section followed me, though I hadn't really planned for that. We sliced through the enemy's own wave of fighters with our lasers, so only a couple of our fighters were lost. Rather than cause some moderate damage, we disabled one and knocked huge holes in the barriers of five other ships. That left them scrambling to reform their formation, which gave the task force a lot of free shots."

"That sort of action likely earned you many accolades, didn't it?"

"Not exactly … My ship suffered a torpedo hit and a couple of hull penetrations from enemy lasers, but nothing too serious and no casualties. Still, that meant I had to spend several weeks in dry dock. My CO wanted to court martial me for not following orders. Luckily, a lot of people felt that I likely reduced our losses significantly, even if it had been a very risky maneuver. I was reprimanded at the same time my ship received a Battle Ribbon. A few months later I was transferred here to the _Vornas_ to start working her up. I think the navy is probably happy that I'm not spreading my 'corrupting influence' in the regular fleet anymore."

Mirin laughed and said, "I know what you mean. It seems that the units we-the Cabals-work with are always happiest when one of us is relocating."

Borian nodded for a few moments, then said, "Well, let's report in."

They left his office and made their way aft to the communications room. Commander Verress, the XO, was already waiting inside. Her mandibles flared once on seeing that Mirin was joining them.

"We're ready to begin, Captain, I was just waiting for you." Mirin's mandibles flared once as she replayed the statement in her head. She was surprised to hear no malice in it.

"Start the call, then."

"Aye, sir." The Commander turned to the console behind her and pressed a few keys.

Borian must have seen her mandibles move, since he leaned over towards Mirin and said, "You'll have to excuse Leandra, she's more of a by the book kind of officer."

"I heard that, Borian." She looked over her shoulder and said, "I've no problem with the Cabalists as individuals until they give me a reason to have one, but their mere presence on the ship makes my job harder. And now she's on the command deck, and though they would never admit it her arrival no doubt unsettled some of those standing watch." _Two decent officers? That is most fortuitous. I'll have to remember to check on the commanders of the other ships as well._

"I'm sure they'll continue to do their duties to the best of their ability. A few more visits and they likely won't even notice when she joins comes to meet us."

"Connection in five seconds, Captain."

As Leandra stood in line with them, an automated VI said, "You've reached Hierarchy Fleet Command. A communications specialist will greet you shortly."

Thirty seconds later, Borian said, "I'm surprised it's taking them this long."

Leandra said, "It's not like we lost the connection …"

"Of course not, I just –"

The projection changed to a very tired looking turian. "Sorry for the delay, sir. I'm Communications Specialist Zorel."

"Captain Borian Terraka of the _HNV Vornas_ , leading ship of _DesRon_ _967_. A few days ago we were told to await new orders, and we haven't –"

"Haven't heard anything yet. Why does a destroyer squadron have a QEC?" Before Borian could answer, the specialist shook his head and said, "Doesn't matter. I'm sending you a decryption key for a database on your main computer. View it and regroup with your parent fleet."

"We don't have –"

"Look, I hate to be rude, but we're overwhelmed with calls for orders right now. I don't have much time to deal with Captains, and your time is up. Goodbye."

"I –" The hologram cut out before Borian could say anything else.

"Spirits, the level of insubordination! I'm going to call back and get some answers!"

As Leandra started working with the console again, Mirin cleared her throat to get their attention. "If I may make a suggestion?"

"What?" Borian snapped, his left mandible twitching.

"View whatever database that decryption key unlocks. We – or you, depending on the level of classification – will have to at some point. Doing it now will let cooler heads prevail, and we may get a more reasonable comm specialist next time – that one's shift _has_ to be almost over."

"His insubordination is unacceptable. This can't go unpunished."

Borian's mandible twitched a few more times, then settled against his face. "It won't, but Mirin is right. The call was recorded, so we will have no trouble dealing with this later."

Leandra audibly growled and said, "If he were one of mine …"

"He'd be running laps for days to build up his endurance so it doesn't happen again?"

She turned and glared at him. Mirin was sure any crewmen would whither to nothing under that gaze.

Finally she turned away and mumbled, "By the spirits, this man …" Her subvocals lent her growl a more frustrated tone rather than the earlier anger.

The trio moved to one of the small conference rooms to open the data. After ensuring that everyone had the proper clearances, Borian started the decryption process. It finished a few minutes later, and the file at the top of the list on the main screen was a three hour vid. Borian's mandibles flared and he said, "I can't start this without visiting the bridge first. I'll return shortly."

"Can I go ahead and take a look at some of this other data?" asked Mirin.

"Of course."

She activated one of the secondary consoles and scrolled through the list. _Indoctrination, goals, firepower, tactical assessments. That all seems pretty normal. Hmm … On second glance, these assessments have very interesting names. "Husk?" "Praetorian?" "Scion?"_ She opened the last one and recoiled from the screen. "Spirits! What _is_ that thing?!"

"Hmm?" Leandra walked around the table to look. "By the spirits, I've never seen anything like that before! It's … disgusting, to say the least."

Mirin read through the basic description and said, "They're used for fire support. It's made up of three human 'husks' fused together. I … I don't understand what that means, and I'm not sure I even want to know."

"This can't be the work of batarians. Spirits, what is going on?"

"I don't know, but I'm starting to regret eating breakfast before this meeting. I'm uh … not going to look through anything else right now."

A few minutes later Borian returned. Upon seeing their faces, he adopted a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

"Everything about this …" mumbled Mirin.

"The data is … very disturbing," said Leandra.

"Well, we have to watch this if we're going to find out what this is all about. Start the vid."

"Right." Leandra pressed a few keys and the vid opened up on the main screen.

"Primarchs, Generals, and Admirals of the Hierarchy, it is my honor to introduce Garrus Vakarian, Special Envoy of Primarch Fedorian. He currently sits on the 22nd citizenship tier. He previously worked with Commander Shepard to hunt down and kill Saren Arterius before her untimely disappearance. He later worked with her again while she was undercover in Cerberus, a mission he will be sharing details from today. Mr. Vakarian?"

"Thank you, Minister Octaril. Today, I will be discussing the Collectors and their harvesting operation, yes, but more importantly I will be discussing the force behind them–the Reapers. Saren wasn't just a rogue Spectre; he was an agent of the Reapers. He nearly succeeded in bringing their armada back. When he died and their vanguard was killed, the Collectors began gathering humans to construct a new Reaper. When I say 'construct a new Reaper,' I'm sure many of you find yourself questioning what that could mean. First, you should break yourselves of the notion that we are fighting a race like the batarians or humans. _This_ is a Reaper."

The vid changed to show a spaceship. "You may recognize that as the geth dreadnought Sovereign. That title was coined by Saren, and that is not just a ship. The Reapers are a race of organo-synthetic constructs." It changed back to showing Vakarian. "They wiped out the protheans 50,000 years ago, and the –" he looked down to reference notes "Inusannon 100,000 years ago. There were other species before those two, each allowed to flourish before being harvested to make more of those ships."

"This is ridiculous! You can't honestly expect us to believe this garbage, can you Fedorian?"

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Primarch Sida. Allow me to show you _proof_ of what I'm saying," Vakarian said, anger evident in his vocalizations. The vid changed to show footage from what Mirin recognized as a helmet camera.

A human woman was standing in some sort of pod. As they watched, she woke up and began struggling to escape, then started _melting_ and collapsed to the floor of the pod. Someone could be heard throwing up as the body continued to disintegrate. Mirin was too horrified by the video to be sure if it was someone in the video, at the presentation, or in the room with her.

"That was a human colonist, likely taken from Horizon. The Collectors processed tens of thousands of colonists this way, and all of the … organic material was fed into this superstructure." The screen changed again, this time showing a skeleton like figure. "We believe this 'proto-Reaper' was to be the new vanguard and attempt to bring the Reapers back where Sovereign failed. It was destroyed, along with the rest of the Collector base."

"That … that can't be _possible!_ " said the same voice as before.

"I have an admittedly limited understanding of the construction process, but both of those video segments came from my own helmet camera. I can assure you that these things really happened, unfortunately … Now, if there are no further concerns about the veracity of my claims, I'd like to continue. We've got a lot to cover today."

The rest of the vid was given over to explanations of indoctrination and a discussion of the various kinds of "husks" the Reapers used as their ground forces. Several of the very scientific sections were explained by an unnamed salarian in additional vids. The additional helmet cam sections which showed combat footage for each type of husk were far more useful in Mirin's opinion, though she had to admit the scientific data was probably important. She leaned back and let out a long sigh as Vakarian finally started his closing statements.

"We've discussed much today, and it will no doubt take some time for you all to digest it. However, I cannot stress enough that this issue is extremely time sensitive. The Bahak system relay was destroyed by Commander Shepard with literally minutes to spare before the Reapers arrived in the system and used it to rapidly spread throughout the galaxy. That was three months ago. The Reapers are already in the galaxy and preparing for war. For my part, Primarch Fedorian has graciously granted me resources to begin hardening our lines of communications, but that is not enough. The Hierarchy needs a strategy to fight the Reapers, and that is your responsibility as its leaders. I will be including my contact information in the data packets from this presentation if anyone wishes to discuss matters further in the future. Thank you for your time."

A few seconds after the vid ended, Leandra said, "Well, that was all very troubling … What now, Borian?"

"I'm not exactly sure. The comm specialist told us to regroup with our parent fleet. I suppose we should call in and ask for new orders again, but preface that with the fact that we're a group of stealth ships."

"If I could make a suggestion, Borian?"

"Go ahead, Mirin."

"Bypass the fleet and send a message to Envoy Vakarian directly. Even being stealth vessels, won't you just be assigned to a fleet for recon purposes? I mean, the doctrine can't be too advanced if these are the first ships produced. He can probably find a better use for your ships than recon that any destroyer could do."

"Well, Blackwatch technically has some ships already, but those are for their own use. Still, you're right; the doctrine really isn't that well developed."

"That would still leave us standing by as we wait for a response, though," said Leandra.

"True. On the one hand, we should return to base so we'll be ready for deployment when our new orders come through. On the other hand, who knows where we'll be sent. Perhaps staying here would be useful."

Leandra nodded and said, "A third alternative might be to deal with the Cerberus base as originally planned. It'll have to be done at some point, and Special Envoy Vakarian said that Commander Shepard was working with Cerberus to defeat the Collectors. It's a long shot, but we might be able to find additional intelligence at the base."

"And it will give us a chance to actually test ourselves. I like it." He closed his eyes for a few moments and said, "I'll inform Fleet Com. that we're going to deal with the Cerberus base. Mirin, I want you to write the message to Envoy Vakarian – I'm stretching my authority as it is by taking action instead of returning to base. Going over my superiors heads to get reassigned wouldn't be wise."

"Understood, sir. Can I share any of the information we learned with my men? Try to come up with tactics to deal with the husks?"

"Umm … while that would be wise, I don't think we should release the data yet. If this is a false alarm, such a leak would be career ending."

"Got it. If we find out it's really happening, I'll get started immediately."

"Alright, let's get to it, then."

* * *

 **A/N:**

*While aboard a starship, a Captain is typically breveted to Major to prevent confusion. If someone asks for the Captain, they'll get Borian immediately, not Mirin.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks once again to everyone who has read, favorited, and reviewed. The Battle of Sanctum was originally supposed to be included in this chapter, but if I'm going to stay on a monthly update schedule and I don't have that part finished then it just has to wait until the next one.**

* * *

Mirin glanced at the clock in the corner of her display and let out a sigh of relief. In twenty minutes she was going to meet Kamus for some sparring – and hopefully _more_ than that. She was nearing her tolerance for administrative duties and needed a chance to unwind. She grabbed her sparring gear from the closet and began unfastening her clothes. As she took her shirt off, her omni-tool started buzzing with an incoming call. She threw the garment on the bed and walked back to her desk to answer it.

"Yes?"

"You have an incoming QEC call, Major Tanidus."

"Ah, thank you, Lieutenant Kasim. I'll be up at once." _Likely Special Envoy Vakarian. It only took two days to get a response via the_ _ **instantaneous**_ _communications system._

She quickly redressed and left. As she walked, she sent an apology to Kamus and informed him that she wouldn't make their sparring session. A short elevator ride later she was on the bridge. In contrast to the quiet of her last visit, it was now bustling with activity in what appeared to be a simulated battle.

It was unlikely anyone noticed her as she made her way aft to the communications room. She found it empty and walked to the control console. After a quick glance down to check her appearance and smooth an imperceptible wrinkle out of her uniform, she tapped the blinking icon to accept the call.

A moment later, a gray plated turian wearing Palaven markings appeared. "I assume you're Captain Tanidus?"

"Yes sir. It's an honor to speak with you, Special Envoy Vakarian."

"If you've got my contact information, you've no doubt seen my presentation. Your message said you had an asset you thought I could use?"

 _Straight to the point, I see …_ "Yes sir. I command the 3rd Raiding Cadre, a group of Cabalists. Alone we probably wouldn't do you much good, but we've been assigned to the Hierarchy's first stealth ships outside of Blackwatch. If the Reapers are really coming, I believe that the ships could be more useful for special missions under your direction than doing basic recon for the Fleet."

"Wait, you just command the Cabalists? I know you're trying to help, Captain, but it doesn't sound like you can _actually_ offer me anything useable. Is that correct?"

She cleared her throat and said, "I believe the Captain would be … amenable to such a reassignment. He's the one who told me that his ships would likely be doing recon missions like a normal destroyer. He seemed somewhat disappointed that their potential would go to waste." _That should prevent any blowback for Borian_.

Vakarian leaned back and a chair appeared in the hologram. He seemed to move away for a moment, then the image returned to its original size. After a few moments he turned away and she realized he had started spinning around in an office chair. "So you decided to reach out to me to offer up his ships. Does he have any idea you're talking to me?"

"He's in the middle of a simulation at the moment, so probably not."

"Now, you _think_ the Captain would go along with a transfer to my command so his ships can be used for special missions. Well, of course he would, that's where the action ought to be, and I've never seen a naval officer that would turn down a bit of glory. Anyone could infer that without much trouble."

Mirin nodded, not sure where his train of thought was going.

"You know, it occurs to me … How did you send the message out over the QEC? I may not be an expert on naval regs, but I'm fairly sure you'd need approval from the Captain or XO to send a message out over such a secure communications line."

"I, err …"

He ignored her and continued his monologue. "Eh, it's likely you just lied to him about the message. Or … Or maybe he told you wanted to be where the action is. _But_ , if _he_ had contacted me, that wouldn't reflect well on him, so he asked you to do it, didn't he?"

"No sir, it was my idea." She knew that even her Cabal training wasn't letting her hide all of the nervous and tense tones that had quickly snuck into her vocalizations.

"Contacting me or requesting reassignment?"

"Requesting reassignment."

"So he wanted to contact me, then?"

"What? No, that was my idea too."

"So you thought this up all by yourself."

"Yes sir."

"So how did you send the message, then?"

"I … I um …"

"You lied to your commanding officer?"

"No!"

He stopped his slow spin and said, "So he or the XO knew about this? I'd think very carefully before you answer that question, if I were you."

Her mandibles flared as she realized her predicament. _Spirits, you freaking idiot! It's a damned good thing I'm not in espionage or someone would get killed over this. Here it's just career ending for everyone involved._

"I take it that what you're saying with your silence is that the Captain is completely aware of what you want to do?"

 _Damn it, I'm screwed no matter what I answer at this point. I might as well stop digging the hole now._ "Yes, sir."

"And is the good Captain available?"

"He's directing a training exercise, sir."

Vakarian leaned forward to say, "Call him and tell him that _Special Envoy_ Vakarian wants him in here immediately."

"Right away, sir." She activated her omni-tool but thought better of it and walked to the communications console. He wouldn't ignore a message from the QEC room.

"We're in the middle of an exercise, Major. Make it quick," Borian said.

"Uh, an explosion incapacitated you and Commander Verress is in charge now. You're needed in the QEC room, sir. Urgently."

"I see. I'll be there shortly."

She looked back up at the hologram and said, "He's on his way. I … I'm sorry, sir."

"Uh huh. We'll see what the Captain says when he gets here. You're not going to get anything past _this_ former C-Sec detective."

 _Great, not only have I been caught in a lie already, but by a cop. There's no way someone like that is going to let this go. I probably ought to start planning my letter of resignation._

Borian entered a minute later while she was deciding how to open her letter. "You requested to see me, Special Envoy Vakarian?"

"Yes, Captain …?"

"Borian Terraka, sir."

"Major Tanidus contacted me via QEC, a transmission that would have needed authorization by you or your XO. I assume she said she was contacting someone else, right? Cabalists are notorious liars, after all. Isn't that right, Major?"

"Yes, sir," said Mirin, eyes downcast.

Borian didn't reply immediately, so she glanced to the side. He was looking at her, but quickly turned back to Vakarian. "No, I was aware of all details of the message."

"Very interesting. Did you know the topic?"

"Yes, sir. I read the message before it was sent."

"So you know that she means to give away your ships. Or rather, the _Hierarchy's_ ships. Obviously you knew that she would be caught and dealt with most severely."

"The ships wouldn't be 'given away,' sir. They'd be under the command of an agent of the Hierarchy, you, but our intention was to put them in a position to have the greatest impact on any potential war effort. Given that when I called in to request new orders I was brushed off by one of the on duty communications officers, Mirin suggested and I agreed that the best way to do that would be to bypass the bureaucracy and go to someone who could make such a thing happen. I'd have sent the message myself, but I've already reached the reasonable limits of my initiative by taking half of my squadron for a raid on a Cerberus base. So, I ordered her to do it."

"Well, this is quite the predicament we all find ourselves in, now isn't it? Here I have two-maybe even three if your XO is in on it-rogue officers who broke I don't even know how many regulations dealing with the chain of command to 'do what's right,' in your eyes. And never mind the fact that you might have ended up in the sort of position you're asking for anyway, since you haven't even been assigned yet."

 _Spirits, this was a_ _ **really**_ _dumb move, wasn't it …_

"But I _do_ know what the desire to do the right thing does to a person. Hell, I'm a bit of a rogue myself at times, so here's what I'm going to do. My command doesn't include any combat troops at this point, but with war seeming more and more likely every day it probably should. I'll talk to Primarch Fedorian and see if he can't get you reassigned to me. It might take some time, but if I don't contact you within a few days, assume it didn't go through and rejoin the Fleet."

"Yes sir," said Borian.

"Now, you said you're going after a Cerberus base?"

"A suspected research facility on Sanctum, sir."

"Let me know if you find anything pertinent to my area of expertise. This conversation has been a nice little chance to sharpen the old investigative skills, and I thank you for the distraction. But, I want you to understand something, Major … If you ever _try_ to lie to me again, I won't be so forgiving."

"Understood, sir. It won't happen again."

He nodded and said, "Vakarian, out."

Once the hologram winked out, Borian turned and said, "You _lied_ to _him_?" From the movement in his hands he likely wanted to shove her against a wall for the intimidation factor. _Of course, I could smack him off of the ceiling with my mind, so he's restraining himself._

Her mandibles moved a couple of times. "I said I thought you'd support an assignment to his command. It technically wasn't a lie, just … not the whole truth."

"Spirits, what were you thinking?!"

"I was trying to protect you in case he didn't approve of the transfer. That–"

"Protect me? From what?!"

"From losing your own position! I'm just a Kabalim with a bump in rank so there's a nominal commander for the Cadre, but you? Something like the introduction of stealth to space combat needs someone who doesn't follow all of the rules, a tactical innovator! Judging from your stories in the officers' mess the few times I've dined there, isn't that you? And - even assuming there's someone else out there who could do the job just as well - if the Reapers really are coming then is there enough time for a new Captain to take command?"

"I'm not afraid to take responsibility for my actions and decisions, Major. I only wanted you to send the message so I wouldn't immediately be relieved of command. I never asked you to lie for me, and I'm starting to think my trust in Cabalists might have been misplaced if that was your first instinct."

Mirin looked down and quietly said, "Cabalists are not honorable like other people, but we have honor in our own way. I swore to defend the Hierarchy, and I strive to honor that commitment every day of my life. Sometimes that means taking a shot meant for someone else, sometimes it means assassinating a dangerous individual, and sometimes it means lying for the benefit of all. But I'm not going to murder an innocent, or lie without what I see as a damned good reason. Don't equate my occasionally dishonorable actions with me being a dishonorable person at heart." When she received no immediate response from Borian, she left for her quarters. Once there she started doing paperwork once more.

* * *

12 hours later, the chime of a visitor at her door startled her awake. She groaned and raised her head to look around. It quickly became apparent to her that a short break to rest her eyes had turned into a very uncomfortable nap at her desk.

When the chime sounded again, she cleared her throat and said, "Enter."

The door opened to reveal Kamus. "You started working early this morning, I see? You asked to be alerted when we were 4 hours away from mission launch time, ma'am."

"Right. Thank you, Kamus." She rolled her neck and cringed at the pain in it.

"Are you alright, Mirin?"

"Yeah, it's nothing. Just …," she paused as she pulled her shoulders back and was rewarded with further pain. She sighed and said, "Just overworking myself. I uh … slept here."

"We're only a week into the deployment and you're already sleeping at your desk?"

"Well, I'm still figuring out how to fill out all of these forms so it takes longer than it should. And there will be some that I'll come to realize don't need to be filed as often as others. And –"

"And you're making excuses, Mirin! I told you days ago that if you needed anything I'd be happy to help."

She shook her head and said, "This is my responsibility. I'll get myself unburied by … soon."

"At what cost? To my knowledge you haven't done anything besides work since we came aboard. You missed our sparring session yesterday for … some reason, I can only assume paperwork. And you've missed over half a dozen exercises with the team, including one that turned into an impromptu bonding experience when Cadan accidentally opened the wrong drainage channel during an infiltration and knocked everyone down with a simulated wall of sewage. We had to end it because the smell would have given us away in the real world, and because we were all laughing too hard to continue! You're becoming distant, Mirin."

She sighed and said, "And what would you have me do, Kamus? No one else can do all of this crap," she gestured to her screen, "and I'm still supposed to somehow find time for my men and myself."

"You know that's not true. Do recall that I was a Kabalim myself, ever so briefly. Let me handle our team's administration, and you can look over and sign off on everything."

"I … suppose I can do that. That'll lighten the load a bit, at least."

"Well 'a bit' is not enough, is it? Umm … You served in Vidinos' command Cabal. What did he do?"

" _He_ had a command staff of non-combatants, which is something I wasn't assigned."

"Well so what if you weren't assigned a staff? You had Master at Arms Nazitus in training, right?"

"Yeah?" She wasn't sure what that grizzled old bastard had to do with her current predicament, but Kamus seemed to be on a roll.

"Remember special weapons training and the," he coughed, "rules for the acquisition of arms?" He cleared his throat said, "'If ya find yaself needin' a piece of equipment and ya don't have one, ask! It's likely those idiots in the armory are hoardin' 'em for no reason. If they won't give ya one, borrow it from another unit. If no one else has one, or they need it too, steal one if ya think ya won't get caught and it won't hurt the victim's capabilities. But if ya cain't beg, borrow, or steal whatchya need, then you'll have to improvise. It probly won't be pretty, and it probly won't be as good as whatchya want, but if it'll do the job then ya just gotta do it.'"

Mirin laughed for a few seconds and said, "That's … actually pretty close to what he sounded like."

"Did you hear the voice and miss the words? I said–"

"Oh, I heard you. Unfortunately, there's no way to get a staff assigned and onboard anytime soon, there's not another unit to borrow one from, and also no one to steal one from. So, that leaves improvisation …"

"It probably won't be pretty, and it probably won't be as good as a trained staff, but if it's what you need and it'll get the job done …"

"I've just got to do it. Damn, that'll make me a popular commander."

"It's not like there's much else for us to do. Sure, it'll take some free time, but if it could be exchanged for, say, less _PT_ time …"

"Oh, you meant you guys? I had been thinking of passing it off to other Kabalim, but having everyone in one place _would_ be better."

"Are you _sure_ you're okay, Mirin? This solution should have been rather obvious with just a bit of prodding."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I haven't been sleeping well the past few days. It'll probably pass, but I think I'm going to have to use a stim before I go into combat. Too risky, otherwise."

"Make sure you remember to tell Alaris so he's up to date."

"Yes sir, Senior Cabalist Veratrum, sir! Or would mom be more accurate?"

"Smart ass …"

"Alright, let's go get some breakfast. And no, I haven't been skipping meals."

"It shows – Kidding, kidding!"

She hit him with a playful biotic push and said, "You'll regret that!"

"So, the staff?" he asked as they walked towards the mess hall.

"I've got the beginning of one in my head, but I'll wait until after the mission to take it to the team. Wouldn't want anyone to accidentally stumble into the line of fire to avoid it."

"Fair point."

After a quick meal, they returned to Mirin's quarters to examine a fresh intel packet. Their long range telemetry showed no Cerberus ships in orbit. Though she had no doubt that Borian's ships could have handled such a complication, she was less sure about the success of her own operation in that scenario. If the base had been reinforced, it could easily have turned into a bloody stalemate that required heavy orbital fire support for any chance of success.

It had been suggested by one of her subordinates that the Cabalists should all land in one section and conduct a lightning assault into the heart of the facility, and while that plan had its merits she had chosen to stick with her original plan. Although the Cabalists would likely make it inside before Cerberus could do major damage to their mainframes and experiments, she felt it was more beneficial in the long run for the Cabalists and Marines to work together closely. After all, if the Cabalists were meant to work as a unified team, then more of them would have been assigned to the squadron.

The thermal imagery she had been promised within thirty minutes of their scheduled launch time would come too late for major changes. It took the Kabalim an hour and a half to finalize the plan, and her final briefing took twenty minutes after that. That left her with nearly half an hour to suit up and get down to the shuttle bay.

She laid out a fresh uniform to change into after the mission, then stripped off the one she was wearing. She pulled on the bodysuit that formed the base layer of her armor, then started fixing the rigid pieces to the mounting brackets. First she secured the chest and back sections along with the attached shoulder plates. Her legs were the next part to be armored. She strapped on her gauntlets, but paused at her upper arms. The two pieces meant for those areas still bore her old insignia. With everything else on her mind, she had forgotten to change them.

She walked to her desk and grabbed two small boxes. One held the insignia she had been given immediately after accepting her promotion. The other contained a priceless artifact that she felt should have been displayed in a museum. It was the original insignia of the commander of the 3rd Raiding Cadre, forged over two millennia earlier. Its scarred and pitted surface hinted at the history behind it and stood in stark contrast to the pristine new badge. It also left her with a decision to make – to join the legacy of the Cadre, or a forge a new one.

 _I've been entrusted with this insignia whether I wear it or not, but I'm sure that upsetting the spirits is not in my best interests._ She released her old insignia and carefully pressed the new Captain's badge and the ancient 3rd Cadre badge into their respective spots.

She attached the last two pieces of her armor. A few quick key presses on her omni-tool brought the armor to life and she started checking her range of motion. A minute of stretches left her satisfied with it. Her startup tests were all nominal, so she grabbed her weapons and placed them in their usual spots. Her sidearm was rarely drawn, but she never left for a mission without it. In the unlikely event she was separated from her rifle, she'd still be able to fight until she could _acquire_ a new rifle.

She frowned as she picked up that rifle. She had previously used a Sorranus marksman's rifle, but in her new position she had to manage a battlespace. Sniping and commanding were two focus intensive activities, but only the latter was actually in her job description. She'd had to switch to a Phaeston, though her Sorranus was still stowed in her equipment crate just in case she ever needed it.

She shrugged and slid its sling into position, then let it hang just below her shoulder. She grabbed her helmet and walked to the elevator. As expected, she found a full load of grenades and drones was waiting for her in the hangar. Aside from donning her helmet she was ready for battle.

But with their launch over twenty minutes away, she settled herself against a bulkhead and observed her men's own pre-battle rituals. Alaris was reading – _likely medical texts_ , she thought to herself. Selecus and Asteris were playing a game on their omni-tools. Tacita was adjusting her rifle's zero to the expected conditions so she'd be ready to remove heads from shoulders immediately after landing.

She swiveled her head and caught sight of her newest team member fidgeting at the side. Her brow plates shifted and she looked around for Tullia. She was a short distance away talking to Phinus, gesturing discreetly at Oren.

She relaxed as she realized Tullia didn't know what to do. _Well, I_ _ **should**_ _interact with the men some more. I suppose I'll talk to Oren and sort things out._ Mirin made her way towards him and waved off Tullia as she noticed she had been discovered away from her charge.

Oren's head moved to the side a few times before he noticed someone approaching. He looked up and immediately saluted. "Major Tanidus?"

"At ease, Cabalist Valur. You seem nervous."

He sighed and said, "That obvious, ma'am?"

"Yes. This will be your first real battle, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm finding it … a lot more worrying than I thought I would."

"Going into battle is never easy – for anyone."

"Then how does everyone else seem so calm?! Err, ma'am?"

"Practice, and finding a way to cope. Take Cabalist Cotula for example. She paints her armor with _quite_ unauthorized patterns. I'm supposed to reprimand her for it, but it helps her focus, and she returns it to the factory pattern at the end of each deployment. Cabalist Makadian listens to music – heavy metal he would have you believe, but I know it's classical."

"And Cabalists Corolan and Polonis are gaming, Cabalist Virim is meditating, and I think I saw Cabalist Veratrum napping. What about you, Major?"

"Well, I like to keep myself flexible. Sometimes I read, sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I people watch, like today." _And sometimes I pray. And by the spirits, I've got nearly two hundred men and women looking to me for orders._

"Okay … Thanks, ma'am. I think I'll go ask Karsus–err, Cabalist Virim about meditation." Mirin nodded and he walked away.

Moments later Tullia was at her side. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I just didn't know what to do."

"Don't worry about it, Tullia. I was informed I needed to take a more active role in my own Cabal instead of spending all of my time on Cadre affairs. I take it Oren has a crush on Karsus?"

"Yep. He seems quite smitten with her, but he hasn't had the guts to talk to her until now. Hopefully it goes well for him."

Mirin nodded in agreement. She checked in with a few of the other Cabalists until the five minute warning finally sounded. "Alright people, on the shuttle. You know the drill."

She secured her helmet and chose a seat on the shuttle. Everyone fit on a single shuttle, though it was a bit tight. The interior grew silent as the door closed. _I should probably say something._

"Pilot, can you have Lieutenant Kasim connect to the other ships via laser comm and route a call to the other Cabalists?"

"Sure, Major, let me just stop my pre-flight checks so you can have a chat."

"According to regs you should have finished them half an hour ago." From her tone, it would be obvious she was unamused by the idea that he wasn't doing his duty _or_ that he was being combative.

The pilot coughed and said, "Uh, yeah. Connecting you now, ma'am."

After a few seconds, the other Cabals reported in. Mirin cleared her throat and said, "My fellow Cabalists, I believe a moment of reflection is needed as we stand on the verge of combat." She was quiet for a few seconds, then said, "Spirits of the 3rd Raiding Cadre, we carry you into battle once again. Guide our actions so that we may live up to your example. Inspire us to greater valor as we join a long line of unsung heroes whose actions have brought the Hierarchy innumerable victories. Help us banish our fear, our uncertainty, and our doubts. Remind us that - bound to these mortal vessels as we are - we may die in battle today, but that our fighting spirit can never be defeated, for the intangible is unstoppable."

"The intangible is unstoppable!" The line broke down into indecipherable cheering before each of the Kabalim regained control of their men.

Mirin quickly switched to the shuttle's network. "Now connect us to the general battle net."

"Done, ma'am."

"This is Major Tanidus, commander of the 3rd Raiding Cadre. Remember, Cerberus isn't like some poorly trained and equipped gang of pirates. These are highly trained and well equipped commandos, and they will show you no mercy. Make sure you do the same, and don't give them a chance to return the favor." She held up her omni-tool to check the time – they were down to their last few seconds. "Let's kick some ass, people. Tanidus, out." The shuttle rocked gently as it was released and left the hangar deck.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed.**

 **The facility they are attacking in this chapter is much smaller than the one that appears in game. That one is too large to hide, and it would be impossible to clear of resistance if it had an appropriately sized defensive force.**

* * *

The shuttle shook as they entered the atmosphere. After a few minutes, the shaking subsided and the pilot announced, "ETA 2 minutes, Captain. Our descent appears to have been undetected."

Mirin nodded and said, "Good. Signal for the first strike." That was the lightest of her pre-planned bombardments. They had identified two dozen locations that might contain hidden weaponry, and she was unwilling to risk losing a shuttle of troops if that concern proved true.

"Aye, ma'am." A few moments later, he said, "Rounds are inbound in 15 seconds."

"Acknowledged." She tapped a few keys on her omni-tool and routed a signal from orbit to her helmet display. To minimize damage to the rest of the facility, the ships would use their lasers to heat – and thus weaken – the surface, then drop a lightweight and relatively low speed projectile on each target.

She watched with satisfaction as the slugs impacted. Half a second later, she gasped as the northwest corner of the structure blew up, spewing shrapnel and debris several kilometers.

"By the spirits …" muttered the pilot.

"Indeed." Seeing uncomfortable shifting among her men, she said, "Secondary explosion on the other side of the facility from our zone. We proceed as planned."

"Copy that, ma'am."

They sat in silence until the pilot said, "30 seconds out."

"Alright men, get ready. Barriers up as soon as we're out. Team 2 right, Team 3 left. We hold until the Marines are on the ground–no heroics. Understood?"

A chorus of affirmative replies came over the radio before silence fell once more. Mirin felt the shuttle sway, then heard muffled pings as rounds started hitting their hull.

"Door open in five, four, three, two, one! Go! Go! Go!" yelled the pilot.

The door swung up and rounds began streaking inside. A second later the first rank of Cabalists was stepping out and raising a barrier between the shuttle and the enemy forces. The second rank held both of her heavy weapons soldiers, and they returned fire with extreme prejudice as they moved towards cover. The rest of the Cabalists stepped out and ran towards a pair of shipping containers a short distance away from the shuttle pad. Those would be the anchors of their defense if their barriers didn't hold.

Mirin signaled the pilot that they were clear. She could barely hear the whine of the shuttle's engines as it lifted off over the rattle of her own weapon and the cracks of incoming fire. Her first clip lasted less than fifteen seconds, but she had managed to kill one enemy soldier and send another sprawling to the ground, his right side and shoulder shredded. She reloaded and glanced to the sides and was pleased to see both were holding.

As Mirin brought her sights back up to her eye, Asteris said, "Getting tired, ma'am."

Mirin let her rifle hang at her side and raised her hands. After taking a few seconds to gather herself, she said, "Got it, Polonis." With a quick jerk of her hands she created her own barrier. A moment later, the other Cabalist's barrier faded away and she lifted her rifle to fire.

Despite trying to keep her mind clear and focused, a thought slipped into it. _The Marines can show up any time now …_ As if on cue, she heard additional fire from behind them as the first shuttle of Marines rushed up to join the fight. With the added weight of their fire, the enemy began ducking into cover with far greater frequency. With less incoming, and her better baseline, she was able to hold the barrier for forty seconds before turning it over to Selecus. 10 seconds later, the remaining Marines landed.

"The Cabalists have done their job, now it's your turn Marines! Charge!" yelled Lieutenant Valonis. At his command, a wave of men and women ran through the barrier towards the enemy.

"Damn it! Drop the barrier and give them covering fire!" _Fucking idiot, you should have used our barrier to advance!_ Two Marines fell before they made it to the doors. Many of those remaining 28 were using shotguns, and at point blank range they slaughtered the opposition.

"Move up and consolidate. Demessan, check the wounded." She saw that Valonis was going to the left entrance, so she headed to the right, gesturing for Phinnus to take his team in the opposite direction. That kept the chain of command intact if she were overwhelmed, and it would also keep her from shooting the Lieutenant _herself_. It took them 30 seconds to catch up to the Marines, by which time they had cleared most of main laboratory floor and were preparing to branch off and secure that level entirely.

As she paused to take stock of the situation, she saw one Marine rush around a corner and heard dozens of shots ring out immediately afterward. She pointed at the hall, rolled her thumb and flicked her lower talon, then said, "Recon." One of her smaller drones detached from her suit and flew in that direction, and a small window opened in the upper right hand corner of her HUD. After a few seconds, the drone rounded the corner and she saw a downed Marine and a group of Cerberus troops in pop-up cover – a wonderful kill zone if she had ever seen one. Unfortunately for her, it was an _enemy_ kill zone, and that meant it had to be dealt with. Several other Marines were moving in that direction, but she ordered them to wait.

"Corolan, Polonis, need you over here." Mirin gestured towards the hall.

"Yes, Kabalim," said Asteris.

"Polonis, cast a barrier. Corolan, four enemy troopers at the end of the hall. Hit them with a singularity. Then, you," she gestured at the Marines, "can avenge your fallen brother without any more of you joining him." Confident in their ability to carry out her orders, she turned and walked towards a bank of computer screens.

Taking in the numerous holes, she experimentally tapped a few keys on the nearest. Unsurprisingly, it didn't respond. Muttering an expletive under her breath, she tried a few more nearby consoles. Finally, she activated her radio and said, "We need an undamaged terminal. Find one once this level is secure." She turned and walked over to one of the shattered windows to look out at the center of the base. The shuttles were circling overhead, ready to provide light fire support if necessary.

A minute later, she received a response from Valonis. "Level is secure. My Marines found a console in an out of the way room. One of the Cerberus techs was still logged in, trying to delete data."

 _Hmmm … point to the Marines, I guess._ "Acknowledged. Wait at the stairwells, you'll be reinforced by my Cabalists." Switching to her Cabal's channel, she said, "Personnel transfers as follows: Nezzus to Team 1; Demessan to Team 2; Polonis to Team 3. Team 2 goes with the first squad of Marines, Team 3 with the second. Demessan, status of the wounded?"

"Both are alive but out of action, one critical. There's nothing I can do for them here that the medi-gel isn't doing already."

"Understood. Regroup as ordered." She switched to the task force channel and said, "Task force, provide sitreps."

"Stand by, in contact." She recognized that as Kabalim Veldoran of the Second Cabal.

"Third Cabal, reporting in. Main level clear, squads are assaulting downward. Casualties as follows: One Marine KIA, three Marines WIA, one Cabalist WIA." That reply came from Kabalim Silanus.

"Command, Fourth Cabal. This tower is wrecked. Numerous dead hostiles located, but no hostile contact yet." This answer came from Kabalim Medinius.

"Copy that. Establish overwatch and don't let the enemy reinforce their positions. Have your men continue clearing the towers, but hold for my order before advancing into the central facility."

"Roger," said Silanus

"Wilco," said Medinus.

She turned around and found that her fire team had assembled. "Specialist Nezzus, the Marines found a terminal that is still logged in. See what you can find and download. Narion, you're with me on overwatch. Corolan, maintain security."

Cadan coughed and said, "I'm more of a combat engineer, ma'am."

"I know that, but you're my _engineer_. Like it or not, it's still your area of responsibility."

"Understood, ma'am. Going now."

At Mirin's gesture, Selecus followed Cadan while Tacita followed her back outside. "Set up wherever you want to, Narion. I'm going to check the wounded again." _Of course, by check, I mean_ _ **interrogate**_ _._

She found them against one of the large shipping containers they had used as part of their defensive line. One of them was leaning against the container, the other's head was laying in her lap. Mirin activated her omni-tool and swept it over them, receiving a medical report from their 'tools. The woman had suffered ligament damage in her right knee, while the man had taken a round in the lung. Mirin wasn't an expert, but she knew the latter was serious.

"I'll arrange for pick-up as soon as possible, but I've got a question for the two of you."

The woman shifted and said, "What about, Captain Tanidus?"

"Was the charge planned and I just wasn't informed, or is your Lieutenant an idiot?"

"Hey, watch what you s –" the man broke down into a cough as he tried to speak.

"Quiet, Temis, you're in bad enough shape as it is," said the woman. She visibly sighed and said, "It was planned, ma'am."

Mirin's hand moved up to massage her temples before she remembered that she was in armor. She turned it into an adjustment to her sling and said, "Does he have any other valiant actions planned that I need to know about?"

"No ma'am. He couldn't plan what would happen after the initial assault."

"Alright. As long as the shuttles haven't been getting painted by anti-air, I'm going to get you two back to the _Vornas_ now before Temis' condition gets any worse."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Mirin sent a message to one of the shuttles from the _Vornas_ telling it to land and pick up wounded if it was safe for it to do so. She looked up and saw one of the dozen break its orbit and head towards them. A quick check of her omni-tool told her that it had been nearly five minutes without a reply from the Second Cabal.

As she crouched beside Tacita, she switched back to the task force channel. "Second Cabal, say status."

A few seconds later, Kabalim Veldoran said, "Sorry ma'am. Second Cabal has nearly cleared the tower. Casaulties as follows: 2 Marines KIA, 4 Marines WIA, 1 Cabalist WIA, condition serious."

Her mandibles twitched inside her helmet at the thought of a critically injured Cabalist, but she pushed it from her mind and said, "Understood."

A single shot rang out beside her. "They're starting to stick their heads out, ma'am."

"Alright. Stay on top of it, but let me know if you need a greater volume of fire."

"Got it."

"All units, be advised: Enemy is scouting for a counter-attack. Maintain overwatch but do not – I repeat, _do not_ – use your force multiplier."

As the shuttle landed, Mirin called for Selecus to help the copilot load the wounded. She laid her rifle across the railing they were leaning against and fired off a few rounds to keep the Cerberus troops back. It kept Tacita from _killing_ them, but it also meant they'd likely bunch up and try to rush across with the hope that most would make it to the other side.

10 minutes later, two of her teams reported that they had cleared their assigned towers and were massing at around the bridges to the central section. Another five minutes passed before the remaining teams had gotten into position. She carefully removed the launcher she was carrying on her back and let it lean in the corner.

As she prepared to give new orders, Cadan said, "Captain, I think I've got something here." She hesitated for a moment, then started walking in his direction. _I might as well find out if it's even worth assaulting the central section._

She rounded a few corners and saw Selecus standing outside the door to the working terminal, weapon at ready low. He tensed slightly as he saw motion, but relaxed when he realized it was her.

She nodded to him as she walked through the door, then said, "What have you got, Nezzus?"

"I'm not sure, ma'am. There's a lot of references to 'artifacts,' 'enhancement,' and 'indoctrination side effects.' It sounds like they might be using some unknown tech on their troops."

 _Indoctrination side effects? Oh, spirits …_ "Search those files for the word 'Reaper.'"

"Ma'am?"

"Do it and don't ask questions."

"Alright." Thirty seconds passed and he said, "I'm not seeing anything related to Reaper–wait, there's a single reference to it here. 'The use of Reaper artifacts in troop enhancement has been proven to increase–"

"Stop. Damn it," she said, then paused to consider her next move. "Get _everything_. I don't want to miss a single shred of data when we leave. This is a huge intelligence windfall. And get me a location on those artifacts!" She was already leaving before he could respond.

As she jogged back to her previous location, she switched to her Cabal's channel. "Someone get me eyes on the other side of that bridge." A drone's feed popped up and it swept around the corner. She saw numerous troopers leaning around corners and knew that an assault in either direction would be costly.

She nodded in approval, then switched to the task force channel as she stopped by Tacita. "Prepare your force multipliers for use on my mark." She picked up her own launcher and aimed it at the entrance on her side of the central section. 15 seconds later, she said simply, "Mark."

Four rockets streaked out from the towers. Each neatly flew through an entrance and detonated a moment later. Fire spewed from the doors as the thermobaric rounds consumed all of the oxygen and generated flames of over a thousand degrees. Equally as deadly was the massive overpressure, which in the confined corridors of the base would kill even troops in sealed combat suits.

"Advance to the other side!"

With the knowledge of what they would likely find inside the base, she prepared an encrypted message back to Captain Terraka. Possible Reaper artifacts. Prepare containment measures. She transmitted it to one of the shuttles, which relayed it up to the _Vornas_. Now she needed to get down and join the assault.

"Cabalist Narion, you're in charge up here." Mirin patted her marksman on the shoulder and walked over to the edge of the platform. A quick glance down made her doubt her sanity, but she wanted to get down to the bridge quickly. It would take her several minutes to work her way down through the tower, or to set up a rappelling rig and go down the side of the building.

She opened a private channel to Kamus and said, "I'm going to do something reckless, and I might need you to catch me."

"Um … What are you going to …? Ugh, spirits."

"Hey, I'll have you know I did quite well in the 'enhanced mobility' section of training …"

"That was half the distance at most!"

"And that's why you'll catch me if I need you to, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. Of course, ma'am. Sorry for questioning you, ma'am."

 _Smartass …_ She took a breath and focused for a few seconds. The "enhanced mobility" training she referred to involved using biotics to do otherwise impossible things – like slow the fall from a 20 meter jump. All she needed to do was cast a weak biotic lift on herself and then not freak out and lose her concentration.

She took another breath and stepped over the side. She descended rapidly in the first second as she finessed the lift to the appropriate strength. She touched down safely a few seconds later in Kamus' waiting arms. He held on to her for a couple seconds longer than strictly necessary. She moved her arms and he released, suddenly aware that he was lingering in combat.

She looked past him and saw that a few soldiers – both Marines and Cabalists – were staring at them. "Alright, people, nothing to see here. Let's keep moving!" She lifted her rifle and moved towards the central section.

She quickly changed to Team 2's comm channel. "I'm joining Team 2. Your lead, Cabalist Veratrum."

"Acknowledged. Fall in, mid formation."

"Wilco."

She assumed her position and followed the rest of the troops into the facility. Her teams had reported killing nearly 60 troops and about the same number of resisting scientists. If the devastation in the other entrances was as bad as the one she was walking through, she was certain they would have nearly doubled the enemy's troop losses sustained in the battle so far. Ideally, the troops gathered to counterattack would have been the last of them, but she could hear echoes of sporadic fire as the Hierarchy forces began clearing operations.

Team 2 and its Marine complement cleared a dozen rooms before finding anyone. As the door slid open, they heard a single shot. By the time she was able to glance inside, a pool of blood was growing around the body's head.

Mirin shook her head. _Suicide._ Judging by the human's clothing, she was obviously a scientist. She wanted to capture some of them, but it seemed they didn't want to betray their benefactor. She'd have the research data, anyway, but people who knew what Cerberus was up to would speed up the analysis tremendously.

After another five minutes, she was confident they were nearing the center of the facility. The Marine point man advanced cautiously, checking around every corner before moving on. As he paused at a T-intersection with hallways on either side, another of the Marines moved up opposite him. They put their backs to the walls and slowly moved closer to the intersection. That let them see what might be hidden in the opposing hallway.

At least, that was the theory. Mirin could do nothing as the left Marine's gun twitched towards an unseen target. He reacted a moment too late, and the right Marine had barely turned his head when a point blank blast from a shotgun tore through his ribcage from right to left. She had no doubt he was dead, or would be in seconds. The Marine on the left returned fire with his own shotgun.

Realizing he could share his comrade's fate if another Cerberus soldier was out of sight on his side of the intersection, he pulled back. "I might have wounded the bastard, but I didn't kill him. Damn it!"

"Watch our rear for flanking maneuvers! Deploying a recon drone." The drone turned to look down the right hallway, but she only got a few seconds of video before someone opened fire. "It saw half a dozen outcroppings with Cerberus troops pointing weapons. And it looked like the hall curves, so there could be more of them. Checking the other side." She saw roughly the same setup in the opposite hall.

"It's a security ring. Presumably, it's protecting our objective." She muted her mic and growled in frustration – her assault had resulted in very few Hierarchy casualties so far, but this had the possibility of becoming _quite_ bloody. She had no idea how many troops the enemy had, but they would be extremely difficult to dig out if there were a significant number of them.

"Veratrum, we're going to split your team into two equal parts. I'll take the left, you take the right. Cabalist Cadius and his grenade launcher go with you. We're on defense – focus on barriers. Marines, advance alongside us and take these bastards out." She let her rifle hang at her side and drew her pistol and a grenade. She knew the explosives likely wouldn't significantly injure the enemy, but it would distract and disorient them.

After some shuffling to rearrange the group, she and Kamus repeated the Marines' earlier performance, but stopped well short of the deathtrap. They primed their grenades and threw them at the wall of the opposing hall – the bounce would put the grenades close to the entrance and any enemy that might be hiding there now. After a three count, both started their movements.

Holding her pistol in her left hand, she struck out with a charged biotic fist at chest height. She found no Cerberus trooper to take the blow and left a small dent in the wall. By the time she turned to face the rest of the defenses, her shields were already taking rounds. A barrier sprang to life in front of her a moment later and she started moving forwards.

Mirin fired a few rounds from her pistol at the armored outcroppings. As expected, her rounds had no effect. She pictured herself reaching out and yanking away the weapon of one enemy soldier, then made a grasping and pulling motion. The rifle flew across the hall, pulling the trooper out of cover. The Marines made quick work of him, but she knew it would take her a short time to recover before she could repeat that feat.

Instead, she drew another grenade and gently tossed it so that it landed at the next soldier's feet. The blast shoved him against the wall, and he recoiled out of cover a moment later. Again, the Marines were quick to respond with gunfire, and she added a round of her own for good measure. Looking forward, she still saw numerous gun barrels pointed in her general direction, spraying fire. The barrier kept them safe, but every shot it absorbed sapped a bit of energy from whoever was projecting it.

As the person leading the attack, she controlled the speed of their advance. She closed on the next pair of outcroppings in fifteen seconds. The Cerberus troops tried to withdraw under the cover of thrown grenades, but Mirin used a biotic throw to knock the grenades back towards their previous owners. The Marines had been expecting that the grenades would be a threat, so they were slow in firing on the retreating troops. They killed one and put a few rounds into the other, though he did fall near enough to cover to crawl into it.

"Need to change barrier provider," said Oren.

"I've got it, Valur," said Tullia. Oren's biotic barrier dropped a moment before Tullia's was up, allowing a few rounds through. Mirin's kinetic barriers flared momentarily, but dropped only a few percent. She made a mental note to make him practice transitions before throwing another grenade.

It took them only a minute to advance the rest of the way down the hall, eliminating a total of 9 Cerberus troops in the process. The hall opened into a larger room stocked with additional weaponry and cover. Mirin was thankful that they apparently lacked enough troops to man the positions fully. As they secured the armory and prepared to enter the area the defensive zone had been protecting, another quarter of the _Vornas'_ troop complement joined them from the opposite direction.

 _Spirits, this is a command and control nightmare._ "I'm assuming command of all of these teams. Prepare to breach." She switched to the Team 1 comm channel. "Cabalist Nezzus, I think we're at the artifact storage area. I need information about what's on the other side of this door."

"I … I don't know, ma'am. It's hard to tell, but it looks like they might have been studying small pieces of a single large artifact."

Her brow furrowed for a moment. "How large?"

"I _don't know_. I think the facility was built on or around it."

 _Spirits!_ She switched to the task force channel and composed another message to Borian.  Possible **Reaper**. Prepare **destructive** measures.

"Breach now."

She let her men lead the way. A single Cerberus trooper was standing on the other side of the door. He barely got a shot off before he was mowed down by fire from half a dozen turian soldiers. They swept and secured the room, discovering the bodies of several scientists. It was obvious the troopers had been ordered to kill the scientists if they couldn't protect them.

A large octagon stood in the middle of the room. Judging by the damaged paint, the panels could slide out of the way to reveal … something. On one side was a control panel that likely controlled that function. She walked to the panel and examined it. It took her suit's automated translation a moment to give her useful labels. After 20 seconds, she finally located a button that said "retract."

"Be alert, everyone. I'm going to retract the plating and see what they were studying." She took a deep breath and pressed the key. The panels slid slowly downward and she stepped back. At the top, she could see what looked like a kinetic barrier. Once the panels were halfway down, she was met with the bone chilling sight of a vaguely organic, dark purple shell. Here and there were what looked like flowers ready to bloom. It looked like some of them had been removed – likely the pieces that had been studied.

She and a few of the other brave souls moved closer to see what else was visible below. One of the Marines tilted his head and said, "Looked down there, closer to the base. There are spikes down there that look a lot like the … oh, what did the humans call them …? Dragon's teeth! That's what the geth used to turn their human victims into husks."

"Yeah, I remember those things. But we're tens of thousands of light years from anywhere the geth ever hit! How on Palaven did these things get _here?_ And what's with the rest of this thing?" said another.

Mirin cleared her throat and said, "It's … tech the geth must have gotten from someone else. There should be some samples around here somewhere – let's get them and get out of here." The Reaper device made her uncomfortable, so she went to the console and raised the protective panels again.

She then placed a real-time call to Borian after making sure her close communications speakers were turned off. "Captain Terraka, I can confirm a Reaper artifact but no Reaper."

"That's a relief, Captain Tanidus. Recover the artifact and prepare for extraction."

"Not possible, sir. It's … big. I estimate at least 15 meters tall, and the base is built up around it. It would take weeks to extract it. It sounds like Cerberus took some pieces off of it to study, and I've got the troops searching for those smaller pieces."

He sighed and said, "It would be beneficial to get our own scientists here to study the artifact itself, but it would also take time to get them out here. And we've got no idea what state the galaxy will be in by that time, so it's really not an option. We can't let it fall back into Cerberus hands, and we can't risk civilian exposure either. We have to destroy it."

"I concur, sir. We should be cleaned up here and ready to extract within the hour."

"Acknowledged. I'm being told that containment measures won't be completed for another few hours, so I can't bring you back aboard until then."

"Roger that, I'll see if Cerberus has anything portable laying around to transport artifacts."

"Keep me appraised, Major."

"Will do, Captain. Tanidus, out." She sighed and switched to the general task force channel. "All units, this is Command. Report situations and prepare to consolidate positions."

* * *

 **Thus ends chapter 5. I'll pick up right after they return to the ship. I could have written the debriefing and such here, but I'm already nearing 5,000 words with the author's notes. A couple of the reviews I received from review tag in Aria's Afterlife suggested adding more background in chapter 1, so I'll be working on that in the near future as well.**


	6. Update and poll

Greetings readers! Can't really say that I'm back from the dead since I was still active on the site, but this _is_ the first update to JSTF in... uh... a long time.

Since that update, I have graduated from college, so yay for that. I am also now employed full time, so that limits my free time for creative ventures quite a bit. And with multiple incompatible story ideas, I'd like a little bit of feedback on what you'd all be interested to read.

I've embedded a poll on my profile with a few of my ideas, so I hope some of you will respond to that so I have some idea of what would interest you. I figure that I'll give it a few days and see if I have any responses.

Thanks

Archangel


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